The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-10-11

ended now. II he must leave her-as
il seemed he must-he would make
it appear that he had. been
drowned. She would 90 back to
live with her father and mother, who
loved her as parents love an only
child. She would wear u black dress
he seemed to see her little face pinch.
ed and sorrowful above her somber
garments-and the boy would be
taught to love his dead father. They
would point to the sky and tell him
that Papa was up in heaven" Ii
was best
1t would kill his tender Lucy to
hear the story. He fancied the wild,
startled look in her blue eyes as An
nettes hard words beat upon her like
hailstones, her piteous appeal to
know ii this could be the truth .and
his heart broken silence. He must be
merciful to her and TO himself. lie
could not bear the thought that in
time she might learn to think OF him
with bitterness and resentment as one
who had degraded her before the
world.
At length he spoke; 81 suppose !
must 90 with you.
"But when?" Annette demanded,
with flash OF triumph in her eyes.
Tonight. The sooner the better,
since it must be-"
"But don't understand. Where
shall meet you"
81 have thought OF that. There are
three large oaks on the river bank
about hall mile on the other side oil
town. Be there at 10 O'Clock and ]
can take yo,i in my skiff to the OPP
posite bank. Then ] can nail an up
river boat. Stay anywhere you like
until then, and don't dare TO mention
my name"
"Are you taking all these precau-
lions out OF tenderness for the chit
you call your wife?"
Don't speak OF her woman" SAID
Colin. She laughed aloud, as If it
amused her to goad him.
"Well, goodbye for the present, my
dear Colin" she said, and moved
away.
AS Colin turned his face toward the
home that was soon to be his no
more the afternoon was growing late.
The sunset was spreading wonderful
wings OF light, that soa red and fioated
over the dead, unchanging flats be-
yond. Golden ripples streamed over
the grass aud water, and the geese
gabbled noisily as they filed home
from the clear pools.
Lucy heard the click of the gate and
ran out to meet him, according to her
usual custom, with Jacky toddling att
er her.
"For the last time" said Colin to
himself.
"Did you remember to mail my let
ter dear?" asked Lucy.
Letters? What letters? Oh yesl"
"Colin," she pursued, hangns on his
arm, did you know the English daisies
are blooming? Come, and I'll show
you a clump of them. Here, beside
the rose. bush-arn't they pretty
Jacks sharp eyes spied them-mam-
mas smart little mani"
As she stood there prattling to Col
in OF the roses they must "set out" IN
the autumn, Jacky tugged at his Ia.
theirs coat and pleaded, Take up!
Take up!" So he had to be hoisted
upon the broad shoulders, where he
sat delighted, clutching his fathers
curly hair.
"Well, come into supper, said Lucy.
An unseen spectator had been watch
ing them, behind the thick screen OF
the Cherokee hedge.
"Silly little chit" she sneered think
ing, when she saw Lucy, OF her own
superb beauty that mad made her
seem woman to be worshiped.
Then her glance fell upon the child
with his little silky, yellow head, and
wondering blue eyes, and the sturdy
legs tramping so bravely after his
mother. She thought OF her own child,
whose feet never learned to walk, and
OF her wild grief, as unreasoning and
short-llved as that OF an animal at
his death. Something like sob
swelled in her throat.
"If he had lived! Oh. my babyl l
would have been good woman" she
murmured.
As on the paper, charred and
withered by fire, there may still
be discerned characters that were
once words and sentences, so In this
woman's soul there arose a sudden
cutlery for all she had forfeited and
could never regain. The past rushed
over her like the cold river OF death.
She could never see her little angle
child again. He could never know
his wicked mother in heaven, nor love
her.
Like one in dream Colin watched
his busy little wife bustling about the
room, tying on Jacky's apron and
setting him in his high chair.
His gaze moved slowly over every
thing in the room, his favorite chair,
tho wb;ta curtain stirring softly i'm the